Academic–Industry Connect

Bridging classroom learning with real-world industry experience

The Academic–Industry Connect initiative under the Internship & Placement Portal (InP) enables students to interact with industry leaders, understand expectations beyond academics, and align their skills with real-world impact.

Flagship Initiative

The Vector Talk Series

Expert-led sessions by industry professionals focusing on high-impact skills, applied knowledge, and career readiness.

Industry Experts Career Readiness Applied Learning
Sessions

The Vector Talk Series — sessions

04
Aug 2026
Dr. Barun Barua

AI in Digital Pathology for Oral Cancer Grading

Dr. Barun Barua · IPDF, MSFDSAI IITG

04 August 2026 11 AM -12 PM Online
  • Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming digital pathology by enabling automated analysis of histopathology images for cancer diagnosis and grading. However, developing AI systems that are pathologically aligned, interpretable, and applicable in resource-constrained clinical settings remains a significant challenge.
  • AI for oral cancer grading
  • Stain normalization for reliable pathology image analysis
  • Analysis of keratinization and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)
  • Interpretable AI for extracting meaningful pathological features
  • Integrating histopathology and molecular data for next-generation multimodal AI

Dr. Barun Barua is an early-career researcher and recently joined the Mehta Family School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, as a Postdoctoral Researcher. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science & Information Technology from Cotton University, where his research focused on developing AI-driven computer vision systems for biomedical image. He was also involved as SERB SRF during his PhD. Prior to this, he worked as an AI System Developer at RogNidaan Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a biomedical AI startup. His research interests span Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Multimodal Image Analysis, Representation Learning, Medical Image Analysis, and Intelligent Vision Systems. In addition to biomedical imaging, he has contributed to research in ballistic imaging, demonstrating the applicability of computer vision techniques across diverse domains.

10
Jul 2026
Aditi Sharma

Standing Out Professionally: Skills, Leadership & Career Growth

Aditi Sharma · Career Coach, Sales Trainer & LinkedIn Top Voice, Founder @ Didache LLP

10 July 2026 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM IST Online

This session provided insights on professional skills, which help showcase your potential and make the most of the opportunities that come your way.

  • Human skills that employers value the most
  • Finding your career direction through problem solving
  • Developing leadership & a growth mindset
  • Building a standout resume and LinkedIn profile
  • Personal branding in the age of AI
  • Interview preparation & industry expectations

Aditi Sharma is a Career Strategist, Leadership Development Consultant, and Founder & Director of Didache LLP, with over 16 years of experience in career development, leadership, communication, and workforce readiness. She has guided more than 10,000 students and professionals in building successful careers, with many securing opportunities at leading global organizations such as Amazon, Walmart, EY, Accenture, and IKEA. A two-time Josh Talks speaker and a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search & Careers, Aditi has collaborated with educational institutions, corporate organizations, and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to bridge the gap between education and industry. Her sessions are known for their practical insights, actionable strategies, and real-world relevance.

13
Jun 2026
Ravi Kumar Satzoda

Moving from Developing ML Models to AI Systems for Products

Ravi Kumar Satzoda · Director of Applied Science (OCI/GenAI), Oracle

13 June 2026 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM IST Online

Building successful AI products involves much more than developing accurate machine learning models. This session explored the transition from research-oriented ML models to practical, scalable, and production-ready AI systems through real-world industry insights.

  • Understanding the difference between ML models and AI products
  • Engineering challenges in deploying AI systems at scale
  • Product thinking for real-world AI applications
  • Trade-offs between research and production AI

The session concluded with an engaging discussion where students interacted with the speaker and explored practical challenges involved in designing, deploying, and scaling AI systems for real-world applications.

Expertise in Generative AI, LLMs, Computer Vision, Multimodal AI, Cloud-scale AI Systems, Applied Science Leadership, and AI Product Development.

06
Jun 2026
Dr. Shakti Goel

Three Pillars of Data Science in Travel & Hospitality

Dr. Shakti Goel · Chief Architect & Data Scientist, Yatra Online Ltd.

06 June 2026 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM IST Online

This session explores the three pillars driving innovation in the Travel and Hospitality industry — Data Analytics, Machine Learning, and AI-driven Automation.

  • Data-driven decision making using analytics
  • Machine learning applications in travel industry
  • AI and LLMs for customer experience transformation
  • Real-world airline fare optimization case study
  • Emerging career opportunities in Data Science and GenAI

Through practical examples and industry insights, participants will understand how modern organizations leverage data science, machine learning, and generative AI to solve business challenges and improve operational efficiency.

Award-winning AI, Data, Product and Technology leader with 28+ years of experience. MIT Sloan alumnus, IIT Delhi alumnus, Chief Data Officer of the Year award recipient, and Data Scientist of the Year award recipient.

06
Jun 2026
Sourabh Tiwari

From Digital Reasoning to Physical Action: Vision-Language-Action (VLA) Models (Embodied AI)

Sourabh Tiwari · Generative AI Solutions Architect, Samsung R&D Institute

06 June 2026 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM IST Online

Explore the next stage of Artificial Intelligence where perception, reasoning, and physical action converge through Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models and Embodied AI systems.

  • The evolution of Embodied AI
  • Vision-Language-Action (VLA) end-to-end pipeline
  • Bridging the Sim-to-Real gap
  • Open-source simulation environments for research
  • Low-cost laboratory tools for academic projects

The session highlights how modern AI systems can move beyond digital reasoning to interact with the physical world, enabling robotics, autonomous systems, and next-generation intelligent agents.

14+ years in AI R&D · 10+ patents · 30+ publications · Mentor to 200+ students · Specialist in Generative AI, Large Action Models, Neuro-Symbolic AI and Embodied AI.

06
Jun 2026
Anand Gangadharan

Vibe to Live: Build a Real App in 60 min

Anand Gangadharan · Data & Product Leader, American Express

06 June 2026 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM IST Online

A hands-on session demonstrating how AI can transform an idea into a live, working application in just one hour. Participants will learn how modern AI tools accelerate research, design, development, and deployment.

  • From idea to deployed application in 60 minutes
  • Using AI for research, planning, and design
  • Rapid application development workflows
  • Deploying a live app that runs in a browser
  • No coding background required

This practical workshop showcases how individuals can leverage AI-assisted development tools to quickly validate ideas, create functional prototypes, and launch real applications.

Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer with extensive experience in data governance, risk analytics, cloud modernization, AI automation, product thinking, and applied AI workshops.

03
Jun 2026
Dr. Geetha Manjunath

Affordable and Portable Breast Cancer Screening Test Powered by AI

Dr. Geetha Manjunath · Founder, CEO & CTO, NIRAMAI Health Analytix

03 June 2026 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM IST Online

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Early detection is critical for improving survival rates and reducing treatment costs.

  • AI-powered breast cancer screening technology
  • How NIRAMAI Thermalytix works
  • Radiation-free and non-invasive diagnostic approach
  • Affordable and portable healthcare innovation
  • Real-world impact of AI in medical diagnostics

The session will showcase how patented Artificial Intelligence algorithms analyze thermal patterns to generate breast health reports and enable early-stage cancer detection in a privacy-aware, accessible, and scalable manner.

Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (FNAE), TEDx Speaker, Forbes Top 20 Self-Made Women Honoree, inventor of 50+ US patents, and pioneer in AI-driven healthcare innovation.

22
May 2026
Ravi Kumar Satzoda

Designing AI Systems Across Contexts

Ravi Kumar Satzoda · Director of Applied Science (OCI/GenAI), Oracle

22 May 2026 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM IST Online

AI systems are not designed in a vacuum. The choices we make while building them vary significantly depending on whether they are intended for academia, industry research, or product-driven environments.

  • Designing AI systems across different contexts
  • Balancing cost, latency, scalability and accuracy
  • Moving from research ideas to deployable AI solutions
  • Understanding practical trade-offs in system design
  • Building reliable and purpose-driven AI systems

Through real-world examples, attendees gain insights into how constraints such as data availability, user requirements, scalability, and operational realities influence AI system architecture and deployment decisions.

Expertise in Generative AI, LLMs, Computer Vision, Multimodal AI, Cloud-scale AI Systems, Applied Science Leadership, and AI Product Development.

17
Apr 2026
Sourabh Tiwari

Multi-modal AI (Vision & Language for Next-Gen Live Assistants)

Sourabh Tiwari · Generative AI Solutions Architect, Samsung R&D Institute, Bangalore

17 April 2026 7:30 PM IST Online

An insightful session on Multi-modal AI, covering how modern systems integrate vision and language for real-time understanding and interaction.

  • AGI journey & role of multi-modal AI
  • LMM architecture & cross-modal learning
  • Live demo for visual reasoning

14+ years in AI R&D · 10+ patents · 30+ publications · Mentor to 200+ students

20
Mar 2026
Gurleen Ahuja

From Classroom to Industry: How Data Science Actually Works in the Real World

Gurleen Ahuja · Lead Decision Scientist, Tesco

20 March 2026 7:30 – 8:30 PM IST Online

This session explores how data science is practiced in real industry environments, moving beyond theoretical concepts to practical, business-driven applications. It walks through the complete lifecycle of a data science project, including problem framing, data exploration, feature engineering, modeling, and translating insights into actionable decisions. Participants will also gain exposure to real-world challenges faced by data professionals, along with a live demonstration using a real dataset. The session concludes with practical guidance on building relevant skills, developing strong project portfolios, and navigating career pathways in the field of data science.

27
Feb 2026
Chandra Sekhar Pulkit Tyagi

Breaking Into High-Impact Careers in the AI Era

Chandra Sekhar · Sr. AI Engineer & Curriculum Lead
Pulkit Tyagi · Sr. Gen-AI Engineer, Axelerant

27 February 2026 7:30 PM IST Online

This session explores how AI is reshaping careers across engineering, data, product, and operations — and what hiring managers truly evaluate in the AI era. Instead of fear-driven narratives, the workshop focuses on clarity, positioning, and building leverage with AI.

  • How AI is redefining job roles
  • Skills becoming obsolete vs unstoppable
  • What recruiters actually look for
  • Building AI-aligned career roadmaps
  • Using AI tools effectively in daily workflow

Includes a 20-minute practical session on AI-assisted workflows, prompt structuring, automation, and live Cursor IDE demonstration.

23
Jan 2026
Anand Gangadharan

Breaking into High-Impact Data / AI Roles

Anand Gangadharan · Data & Product Leader, American Express

23 January 2026 7:30 PM IST Online

Hiring managers don’t hire tools—they hire impact. This session demystifies what recruiters and interviewers actually evaluate when assessing industry readiness, focusing on signals rather than buzzwords. Participants will learn how to define “high-impact” work, map their skill stack across SQL, analytics, ML/GenAI, and storytelling, and communicate outcomes effectively. The session will conclude with a walkthrough of three standout, portfolio-ready projects—a Marketing & Revenue Intelligence Hub, a Support Agent built with RAG and evaluation frameworks, and a Churn & Retention Engine covering feature design, modeling, and uplift—followed by Q&A and actionable next steps.

More Vector Talk Series sessions will be announced soon.